SYNTHESIS OF ULTRAFINE LICOO2 POWDERS BY THE SOL-GEL METHOD

Ultrafine high-temperature (HT) LiCoO2 powders were synthesized by the sol-gel method using polyacrylic acid (PAA) as a chelating agent. The decomposition process of the gel precursor was examined to determine the crystallization temperature and the dependence of the physicochemi cal properties of HT-LiCoO2 powders on the PAA quantity was extensivel y investigated. Polycrystalline HT-LiCoO2 powders, composed of very un iformly sized ultrafine particulates with an average particle size of 30-50 nm and a specific surface area of 2.3-17 m(2)g(-1), could be obt ained at the lower calcination temperature of 550 degrees C and the sh orter calcination time of 1 h compared to the solid-state reaction.